Basket.



No. 697,537. Patented Apr. l5, I902.

J. B. PDIROT.

BASKET.

(Application filed May 29. 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES -1 ATENT Enron.

JOHN B. POIROT, OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,537, dated April 15, 1902.

Application filed May29,1901. Serial No. 62,427- (No model) To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN B. POIROT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to baskets,the object in view being to provide a strong, convenient, and durable basket formed throughout of metal, the said basket being designed particularly for use in the handling and transportation of vegetables, and especially products of the soil-such as potatoes, turnips, peanuts, &c-the open-work construction of the basketenabling the earth and dirt and small products, 850., to free themselves from the vegetables and escape, thus keeping the vegetables more uniform and clean.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to construct the side or sides of the basket of a single length of wire and also .to construct the bottom from a single piece of wire, the side and bottom wires being braced at intervals by reason of their connection with a plurality of bands, which give the desired shape to the basket and also form durable edgings for the top and bottom.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a basket constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the basket-bottom.

Similar numerals of reference designate cor= responding parts in all the figures.

The basket contemplated in this invention comprises, essentially, top and bottom bands 10 and 11, respectively, which in order to give a conical or flaring shape to the basket are made of different sizes, the top band being made larger than the bottom band, although this is not essential to the present invention. For the sake of cheapness and economy in manufacture the said bands are preferably of circular or annular form;

The top band 10 is provided with slits extending froinits upper edge downward vertically, and the portions included between such slits are bent downward upon the outer side of the band to form lips or keepers 12. In the same manner the bottom band 11 is slitted from the lower edge, and the portions band 10, thence beneath alternate keepers V 12, as shown at 16. tions of the side wire are bent, as shown at 17, to embrace the lower edge of the bottom band and to extend, as shown at 18, between the body of the bottom band and alternate keepers 13. In this way it will be understood the wire of which the side of the basket is composed'is alternately passed beneath the keepers or lips of the top band and those of the lower band. Both bands are formed of malleable metal, and after the wire has been thus engaged with the keepers the latter are bent and tightly clenched against and over the portions of the wire passing beneath the same.

Between the top and bottom bands I prefer to arrange an intermediate band 19, serving as an additional brace and spacing device for the vertically-extending portions of the sides, the said intermediate band being provided with metal clips 20, preferably of the same width as the band 19 and soldered or otherwise securely fastened thereto. The intermediate band 19 is also arranged by preference upon the inside of the vertical portions of the wire forming the side or sides of the basket.

The bottom of the basket consists of a plate .22 in the form of a centrally-arranged disk, having radiating arms 23, connected by a ring 24, concentric with the disk 22 and arranged at a point intermediate the ends of the arms 23. Other intermediate arms 25 radiate from the ring 24 outward, and all of said arms are provided with twin pendent flanges 26, which impart rigidity to the basket bottom and strengthen the basket as a whole, also for1n- The lower recurved poring a rest or support for the basket. Upon the bottom thus formed is arranged an auxiliary bottom wire 27, composed of a single piece of wire coiled in involute form, as shown, and having the several coils thereof securely fastened to the upper sides of the radiating arms 23 and 25 by means of clips 28, similar to those 20, hcreinabove described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the side or sides of the basket may be formed entirely of a single piece of wire reeved back and forth between the top and bottom bands and clenched beneath the lips or keepers, which are formed integral with said bands; further, that the wire bottom is also formed from one piece of wire shaped into an involute coil and having the different coils secured at intervals to a series of radiating arms forming integral parts of the supporting-bottom of the basket; further, that the said radiating arms are provided with pendent reinforcingfianges, which impart rigidity to the basket as a whole and form a support therefor.

The basket is admirably adapted for the handling and transportation of vegetable products, and after the construction of the basket is completed it is preferably galvanized to prevent rust.

I do not desire tobe limited to the details of construction and arrangement hereinabove set forth, and accordingly reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A basket comprising a bottom upperand lower malleable bands provided with lips or keepers, and sides composed of a single piece of wire bent to extend back and forth between the top and bottom bands and having the upper and lower portions thereof in engagement with the lips or keepers of the top and bottom bands.

2. A basket comprising a bottom top and bottom bands having downwardly and upwardly projecting malleable keepers respectively, and sides composed of a single length of wire bent to extend upward and downward between the top and bottom bands and having its upper and lower portions bent over and beneath the top and bottom bands respectively and engaged with the malleable lips or keepers thereof.

3. A basket comprising a bottom top and bottom bands of malleable metal having their top and bottom edges respectively incised and bent downward and upward upon the outer sides thereof to form keepers, and sides composed of a single length of Wire bent to extend back and forth between the top and bottom bands and having its upper and lower portions engaged beneath the keepers thereof.

4. A basket comprising a bottom top and bottom bands provided with malleable keepers, sides composed of a single piece of wire bent to extend back and forth bet-ween the top and bottom bands and having its upper and lower portions in engagement with the keepers, and an intermediate band provided with clips in engagement with upright portions of-the wire forming the sides of the basket.

5. A basket comprising top and bottom hands, a bottom consisting of a single plate having radiating arms having their edges bent to form reinforcing and supporting flanges, and an auxiliary wire bottom supported thereon and consisting of an involute coil of wire connected at intervals to the supporting-bottom.

6. A basket comprising top and bottom bands, sides composed of wire extending back and forth between the top and bottom bands, :1. supporting-bottom comprising radiating arms provided with pendent flanges which reinforce the bottom and form a support for the basket as a whole, and an auxiliary wire bottom in the form of an involute coil of wire secured at intervals to the supporting-bottom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN B. POIROT.

Witnesses:

WM. B. DAVIS, JOHN MUELLER. 

